TALK TO THE DADDY

Hello. Come on in. The daddy writes about current events, literature, music and, once in a while, drops something on you from back in the day to make you pause and ponder, stop and stare, and begin to wonder. Who knows? You may start to pace the floor, shake your head from side to side, then fall down on bended knees in a praying position and cry, "Lawd, have mercy! What is this world coming to?" Check yourself! But this blog is NOT about the daddy. It's about you: your boos, your fam, your hood, your country...our hopes and dreams of a better tomorrow. So let's make a pact: the daddy will put it on the track if you'll chase it down and hit him back. Together, we can definitely take it to another level. Shall we?"

Sunday, February 15, 2009

“History is a clock that people use to tell there political and cultural time of day.It is also a compass that people use to find themselves on the map of human geography.History tells a people where they have been and what they have been, where they are and what they are.Most important, history tells a people where they still must go, what they still must be.The relationship of history to the people is the same as the relationship of a mother to her child. " --Dr. John Henrik Clarke

Listen up. Today, the daddy is feeling John Henrik Clarke. Though we would not have such a day without historian Carter G. Woodson, we may not have succeeded in the civil rights movement as soon as we did without a strong, militancy movement to push Dr. King and civil rights movement at the same time. This Black power movement was so strong and so serious that it gave even more urgency to the White House and American government to change rather than prepare for violence throughout the central cities of America.

It also gave the leaders of the peace movement like Dr. King some cover. They could say "We're for peace, but it's becoming harder to keep these younger leaders in the ghetto under control. That's why we need to give Negroes all of their rights now. That's why we need to get out of Vietnam and wars abroad right now and work to get rid of poverty and provide jobs and better education for all Americans right now."

Many leaders of the Black power movement came to Clarke: Stokely Carmichael, H. Rap Brown and many others. Foremost of those he influenced was Malcolm X. Clarke became Malcolm X's chief consultant and best friend. His work with Malcolm resulted in one of Malcolm's greatest speeches, indeed, one of the greatest 100 speeches made in America, "The ballot or the bullet." And he was helping Malcolm to start a new organization (Organization of African American Unity) during the time that Malcolm was murdered.

Now, to the daddy's knowledge, Clarke did not write an autobiography. But he did tell about the impact his teacher made on him. Clarke was born in Union Springs, Alabama on New Years Day, in 1915. His was a family of poor sharecroppers. But they soon moved to Columbus, Georgia when he was about four years old. There, he met a school teacher named Eveline Taylor. Clarke said Ms. Taylor told John that she saw something special in him. She saw a thinker. And she said to him:

"It's no disgrace to be alone. It's no disgrace to be right when everyone else thinks you are wrong. There's nothing wrong with being a thinker. Your playing days are over."

Here's a eulogy of him written by The Los Angeles Times:

John Henrik Clarke: Activist, Professor July 18,198

John Henrik Clarke never got around to writing his life story, which encompassed some of the more turbulent periods in American history.

But time will not forget the former history professor who died at the age of 83 Thursday at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital in New York City after a heart attack. A pioneer in urging African and African American studies at Hunter College, where he taught from 1968 to 1985, he developed most of the department’s curriculum. He taught at a number of other schools, including Cornell University.

Clarke is remembered as someone who put the forgotten history of Africa back into the textbooks, and gave an analysis of history that wasn’t mainstream, said John Branch, director of the Afrikan Poetry Theater in New York City and Clarke’s friend of 20 years.

Descended from a family of sharecroppers, Clarke was born in 1915 in Union Springs, Ga. He left Georgia in 1933 and went to Harlem.

His political and community activism began quickly, when Clarke opposed the Italian invasion of Ethiopia in the 1930s. Later, he became a close friend of black activist Malcolm X.

Clarke was instrumental in drawing up the charter of the Organization of Afro-American Unity in the 1960s, said Andre Elizee, an archivist at the Schomburg Center for Research Into Black Culture in Harlem. And Clarke helped to forge a link between Africans and African Americans.

Clarke studied history and literature from 1948 to 1952 at New York University and later at Columbia University.

During his career, Clarke edited or wrote 27 books. His editing work included the classic “American Negro Short Stories” in 1966. He was the subject of a documentary film, “John Henrik Clarke: A Great, Mighty Walk,” narrated by Wesley Snipes."

Know your Black History. Know John Henrik Clarke. He took a long & mighty walk. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notable achievements:

--authored or edited more than 27 books;

--wrote more than 200 short stories;

--influenced generations of African American leaders, especially black leaders during the civil rights and black power movement era;

--pioneered the development ofAfrican heritage and black studies programsnationwide;

--was instrumental in helping launchthe publishing careers of authors like Audre Lordeand Julian Mayfield, and in publishing the works ofCheik Anta Diop in English; --In the 1960s, served as director of the African Heritage Programof the Harlem anti-poverty agency known asHARYOU-ACT;

--was the firstpresident of the African Heritage StudiesAssociation; and

--was a founding member of the BlackAcademy of Arts and Letters and the AfricanAmerican Scholars' Council.

12 Books by John Henrik Clarke

1. (1966) Black American Short Stories2. (1968) William Styron's Nat Turner: Ten Black Writers Respond3. (1968) Harlem: City Within a City.4. (1974) Marcus Garvey and the Vision of Africa5. (1991)Malcolm X: The Man and His Times6. (1992) Africans at the Crossroads: African World Revolution7. (1995) The Middle Passage: White Ships Black Cargo8. (1996) World's Great Men of Color9. (1999) My Life in Search of Africa10. (2001) Introduction to African Civilization11. (2002) Christopher Columbus and the Afrikan Holocaust12. (2004) Who Betrayed the African World Revolution

Note: Don't forget to check out a video of him called "John Henrik Clarke: A Long & Mighty Walk."

16 comments:

Daddy, Did you cover Carter G. Woodson? Just curious, as he is a WV hero as well. I see him as being the man who came before and really paved the way for Henry Louis Gates, Joe Trotter and Cornell West. He and W.E.B. DuBois, Booker T. Washington . . . hey, they ALL have WV connections. . . did I mention Leon Sullivan?WV History IS Black History

Sagacious: Alll the people you mention have had an influence on Black history. Booker T. Washington wasn't known as a historian but the leader of a group that accommodated the white house and whites at that time so blacks could get and education and own their own property. He had what they called that time a "lay your bucket down where you are" philosophy. He wasn't arguing for blacks to get the vote or integration. Dubois was just the oppositie. He sad that if blacks didn't fight for the vote, they would always be pawns in the hands of powerful white owners and white vigilantes. He called the most educated "the talented tenth," to help blacks to get their rights to vote. But he was known chiefly as a great sociologist. But he didn't have no movement. And a lot of blacks never knew him. Dubois and Washington often argued and debated, but Washington had the upper hand, because he had the support of whites.

Carter G. Woodson was an excellent historian. His book "The Miseducation of the Negro" reads like something that's still happening today. And it is. But there was not much of a political movement during his time.

You mentioned Lous Gates and Cornell West. All these people are owe black liberation leaders of the sixties and progressive blacks leaders during the early and middle sixties and late sixties for demanding equal education for Black and third world people. The person who gave them confidence to do that was, first and foremost, John Henrik Clarke academically and Malcolm X. And when Malcolm X died, he became something of a martyr to young black people and all the more powerful. But behind the words of Malcolm X was Elijah Muhammad and Dr. Clarke, Dr. Clarke in the latter part of his life. Even today, when you offer a quote from Dr. Clarke, everyone listens intently. As a historian, he was the man.

Sagacious: I forgot to mention something else about Dr. Clarke: his accessibility. You see, many of these progressive leaders who stepped out in the late sixties either had been taught directly by Clarke in school, had known him from his work with them. People involved in community struggles, even Blacks doing sit-ins on major college campuses, could him and he would come and speak to them about sitting a black studies department or whatever they wanted to talk about.Like Dr. King, he wasn't just a talker. He was an activist.

Doctor Clarke and several other individuals you have listed in your blog in 1969 gave interviews on midnight KGO radio in San Francisco. I learned from those broadcasts each night, events going on in the black communities of California and not talked about in newspapers and news media. I still have great respect for several of them that history has not been kind to or twisted what really went on.

You're a thinker too, Daddy. In one of those weird coincidences that sometimes happens, I was reading your latest post and the radio was on in the background, and John Ridley came on to talk about why Black History Month still matters.

hen I read dr. clarke’s book on his search for africa that was all the bio I really needed: how he praised his teachers...

Our book club just read "Who Betrayed the Afrikan World Revolution?" a few months ago where he, along with Drusilla dunjee Houston, put all of their references in the body of the text and he so much so that I have taken 3x5 cards and compiled a list of books from his sources.

The afrikan proverb says that as long as we call your name you will never die. I will never forget the love he shared for Malcolm when he cried in the documentary “Great and Mighty Walk.”

He also reminded spike lee that he had offered to share the real life of Malcolm with him instead of the hollyweird version that made it to market. Spike somewhat corrected that error in the miracle of Santa Anna...

“Events which have transpired 5,000 years ago; 5 years ago; or 5 minutes ago, have determined what will happen 5 minutes from now; 5 years from now; or 5,000 years from now. All History is a current event”.--Dr. John Henrik Clarke

I hope someone writes his autobiography. I love how you mentioned Eveline Taylor, and the quote from her to -- how wonderful you highlight what a difference the words of ONE teacher can make on a young person.

What a lot Clark accomplished -- and back then there was no label of "first-generation college student," the way the kids (who are first-generation) are labelled now. Makes me wonder about the wisdom of that label . . .

I note the kind of reverence that many Afrikan express about the late scholar and I suspect this should motivate them to want to explore more deeply his contributions, his research, and his ideas.

If you forgive the modesty (this is something Dr. Clarke would have said), there is a new study on the late scholar titled John Henrik Clarke and the Power of Africana History: Africalogical Quest for Decolonization and Sovereignty (Africa World Press, 2009). ISBN: 1-59221-627-7.

It's my study. And it is the first book-length academic study of the late scholar.

Rather than primarily a biography of the great sage, this fascinating read explores Dr. Clarke's intellectual contribution to U.S. and global African thought and culture, including African and African American history, Black Studies, liberation, and the concept of Afrocentricity.

Adorned with a magnificently attractive cover design, this book is ideal for those who are interested in learning more about Africana intellectualism and cultural thought in the 19th and 20th centuries.

It explores Dr. Clarke's academic training in Harlem, his role as one of the major architects of Black Studies, and his contribution to African thought and culture in the United States, Africa, and the world.

I would welcome your review of the work.

Ahati N. N. Toure, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Africana History and Black StudiesDepartment of History, Political Science, and Philosophy1200 N. DuPont HighwayDover, DE 19901-2277

Anon: He is my favorite historian. I would love to do a review of the book. How can I get a copy? If you have several, could you send me a copy? If so, let me know and I'll send you my address.

Please consider signing up as a follower of this blog on the top of the sidebar. That way, others can come to the blog and purchase the book. Also, I'd be happy to remind people of the book. But you'll need to sign in and let people know your real name. Thanks for contributing to our knowledge about Dr. Clarke.

THE DADDY'S CREW!!!

OUR 44th PRESIDENT

President Barack Obama and family

POLICE USING TASERS

I wondera: Have police officers around the country been re-trained on the new policy suggested by the taser manufacturer? Have officers taken time to consider that the procedures haven't worked for the purpose intended (save lives) and that it is time to standardize the 'use o continuum' policy nationwide to correct it?

"THE REBELLIOUS SIXTIES"

Mac Walton's The Rebellious Sixties? Yes, I Remember is part-memoir, and part-tribute to the civil rights movement that intertwines themes of racism, sexism, poverty, homelessness, violence, and war. . .

SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER

Retired nurse Molly Sullivan, of Maple Grove, Minnesota, gave her reason for supporting Nancy Pelosi's healthcare bill coming out of congress: "...with premiums rising it’s hard to pay for food for Daisy." Daisy is her Australian sheepdog.

SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER

"Republicans want you to die first. What I mean is they have got no plan. It's been 24 hours since I said that. Where is the Republican plan? We're all waiting to see something that will take care of the pre-existing conditions, to take care of the 40 million Americans who have no coverage at all."

I wonder if police officers around the country have been re-trained on the new policy suggested by the taser manufacturer? I wonder if it is time to standardize the 'use of force continuum' policy for police on a nationwide basis?

TRAGEDY-FORT HOOD

SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER

"I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man. I live in the South, and I've seen the South come a long way, and I've seen the rest of the country that share the South's attitude toward minority groups at that time, particularly African Americans." And that racism inclination still exists. And I think it's bubbled up to the surface because of the belief among many white people, not just in the South but around the country, that African-Americans are not qualified to lead this great country. It's an abominable circumstance, and it grieves me and concerns me very deeply."

SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER

Ted Kennedy, Senator from Massachusetts, since 1962 and long-time fighter for healthcare, the environment, minimum wage and civil rights, finally lost his fight with brain cancer yesterday. But take a look at a true liberal, a true fighter for working people and one of the few statesmen in the senate. He spoke truth to power all of his political life. He spoke for us.

SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER

"I think we all have to take responsibility for our actions and our words. We are a free country and this balance between freedom and safety is one that we have to carefully balance,.. I saw, I saw this myself in the late seventies in San Francisco. This kind of rhetoric was very frightening and it gave--it created a climate in which violence took place."

GOOD LOOKING OUT!!!

Steve McNair, the great quarterback for the TennesseeTitans for many years, was murdered this summer. But Vince Young, presently a Titan quarterback and McNair's best friend, surprise McNair's two sons-- 11-year-old Trenton and 5-year old Tyler-- by taking them to their school's "Dear Dads Breakfast" at a local restaurant. Said Young: ""Those are my boys.. I wouldn't say it was to pay anyone back; it was just out of love. Steve would do it for me. He pretty much did it for me when I was growing up. I have a history with the boys and I want to do anything I can. I am their big brother."

SPEAKING TRUTH POWER

"It would be hard to think of a more electrifying and deserved recipient of this year's Nobel Peace prize than President Obama... Obviously, the award is based on the hope that Obama will achieve real progress in advancing diplomacy rather than confrontation around the globe. To some degree, he already has." Jacob Heilbrum, Huffington Post.

CHANGE TO BELIEVE IN

The Prez signing the National Defense Authorization Act, which includes the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. After eleven years of public battle to add sexuality and gender identity to existing hate crimes laws, America finally has in place a federal law that ensures that violence against LGBT people will not be swept under a rug like it has in the past.

USAIN-ITY

Usain Bolt blew away the field in the 100m on Aug. 16, lowering his own world record to 9.69 seconds despite looking around, raising his arms out and then pounding his chest over the last few meters. Then he became the first man since Carl Lewis to sweep in the 100m and 200m at the Olympics, and he broke Michael Johnson's 12-year-old record in the process. Bolt dominated the field to clock 19.30, bettering Johnson's mark by .02. Finally, Bolt ran the third leg of Jamaica's 4x100m relay, handing off to Asafa Powell, who brought it home for an easy gold.

GOOD LOOKING OUT!

Donovan, you could have kept quiet and let Vick go some place else. But, you believed every person deserves a second chand and quietly lobbied to make him an Eagle. Good looking out.

A CHANGE IS GONNA COME

"Martin Luther King once said, ‘The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.’ I believe that. The international community believes that. And right now, we are bearing witness to the Iranian people’s belief in that truth, and we will continue to bear witness." The Prez, on events in Iran.

THE WAR IN AFGHANISTAN

"The war will not halt the attacks of Islamic radicals. Terrorist and insurgent groups are not conventional forces. They do not play by the rules of warfare our commanders have drilled into them in war colleges and service academies. And these underground groups are protean, changing shape and color as they drift from one failed state to the next, plan a terrorist attack and then fade back into the shadows. We are fighting with the wrong tools. We are fighting the wrong people. We are on the wrong side of history. And we will be defeated in Afghanistan as we will be in Iraq." --Chris Hedges, Truthdig

THAT'S THE WAY IT IS

1916-2009. Called the most trusted man in America, it seems that not even the Gods dared question him when he said, "And that's the way it is." Or presidents. When Cronkite went to Vietnam to see the war for himself and came back and said it was unwinnable, President Lyndon Johnson said, "Well, if I've lost Cronkite, I've lost middle America." Shortly thereafter, Johnson said he would not run for reelection as president of the United States.

MICHAEL GONE

another great one has gone to meet the ancestors. Now the media and his father can't hurt him anymore.

CHANGE TO BELIEVE IN

Signing a bill to regulate the toabacco industry to curb their ability to market cigarettes to kids is change The Daddy can believe in.

"MY DAD IS MY HERO"

Officer Steven T. Johns died to protect more than 2,000 visitors and staff at the The Holocaust Museum from a rifle-wielding white supremacists. His 9 year old son said, "My dad is my hero."

KOKO TAYLOR GONE

(1928-2009) The "Queen of the Blues has passed away. But she left a legacy of good music sung like a Sistah in church on Sundays with the entire congregation shouting "Amen!" and "Yes, Lord!" while waving fans to cool the air and the tears on the side of their faces. Her gospel style and passion took her to the top of the blues world. Over her storied career, she won 29 blues awards, more than anyone else in the blues.

CHANGE TO BELIEVE IN

The Prez and his proposal to provide 1.25 billion to black farmers to settle discrimination claims against The Agrigultral Department is change The Daddy can believe in.

CHANGE TO BELIEVE IN

The Prez and his leadership in getting passed sweeping credit card reform legislation aimed at limiting abusive and deceptive credit card practices is change The Daddy can believe in.

CHANGE TO BELIEVE IN

The First Lady and a black woman letting the world know from whence she came is change The Daddy can believe in. At the unveiling of Sojourner Truth's bust in the capital, the First Lady stated, "One can only imagine what Sojourner Truth, an outspoken, tell-it-like-it-is kind of woman would have to say about this incredible gathering, just looking down on this day, and thinking about the legacy she has left all of us because...we stand on the shoulders of giants like Sojourner Truth."

CHANGE TO BELIEVE IN

The First Lady and a black woman portrayed as something other than an angry, militant sexpot on welfare who, in between eating potato chips, pumps babies out of projects like water from a faucet is change the daddy can believe in. Photo: Reuters.

CHANGE TO BELIEVE IN

The Prez and a black man portrayed as caring about something othan than pimp clothes, "bitches" from his "stable," and his black Escalade with gold-plated spinning rims is change the daddy can believe in. Photo: AP

CHANGE TO BELIEVE IN

The Prez and his growing reputation as a good listener as well as a good speaker, a gentleman diplomat as well as a strong leader is change the daddy can believe in. Here he is pulling out the chair for Chile's President Michelle Bachelet during a dinner at the 5th Summit of the Americas in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, Saturday, April 18, 2009. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

CHANGE TO BELIEVE IN

The Prez working with Navy leaders and sharp shooters to rescue an American, Captain Philllips, off the East coast of Africa is change the daddy can believe in.

CHANGE TO BELIEVE IN

The Prez ignoring protocol and taking the opportunity to shake hands with this Bobby is change the daddy can believe in.

JOHN HOPE FRANKLIN

(1915-2009) Duke University historian John Hope Franklin, one of the greatest historians of the 20th century, said, "We might be better off in some ways. But as long as we have more blacks in jail than in college, as long as we have more blacks unemployed than in college, as long as we have a system that will not provide adequate and decent affordable housing even for people who can afford it, we're not very far."

MEL BROWN DEAD

(1939-2009) Another great one has gone to meet his ancestors. But fortunately for us, Mel Brown left us with a legacy of great music as both a soloist and as a rhythm guitarist. He made a number of very good albums, played with all the greats (T Bone Walker, B.B. King, Albert King, Etta James, Albert Collins, etc.), and, for years, lead a house band at Antone's in Austin, Texas. He even played telefvsion (The Steve Allen Show, The Bill Cosby Show, The Jerry Lewis Telethon. Check him out on UTUBE playing "Crosstown," one of my favorites.

SAINT ON EARTH

(1918-2009) Every time the daddy entertains the illusion that he is a self-made man, something dramatic brings him back to reality. Lots of people helped him out. One such person was D' Agostino (Mama D), who died yesterday. When a young daddy came to the Univers ity of Minnesota and his scholarship check hadn't come, Mama D fed him, gave him "coffee money," and paid his rent for two months. The daddy just walked into her restaurant and asked for a job. She said he looked hungry. Recognizing he didn't want charity, she sent her dishwasher home and said he could wash dishes, after he ate. She personally fixed him a large plate of shrimp scampi.The daddy worked three or four days a week for her for two months. But he wasn't the only one. One day a year, for 42 years, on March 19th, on St. Josephs Day, she fed the needy. A Saint on earth. She was 91.

FOOTPRINTS

(1943-2009) The great bluesman Willie King went home to join his ancesters. But he left thick footprints for us to follow: A winning personality, a deep connection to the people and the soil of West Alabama (He was also a farmer), the gift of being a natural community leader, and the feel for rich, dark, down-home, juke joint music so haunting and bittersweet that you can't help but say, "Now, that 's the blues!"

CHANGE TO BELIEVE IN

Letting American families see their sons and daughters come home. President George H. W. Bush banned the media from photographing the caskets of U.S. soldiers killed in the first Gulf War in 1991. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates lifted the ban in February. Photos courtesy of the Air Force.

CHANGE TO BELIEVE IN

Michelle Obama scoops up mushroom risotto to homeless men and women during lunch at Miriam's Kitchen, a soup kitchen only a few blocks from the White House. The First Lady also brought quite a bit of food for Miriam from the White House staff.The purpose of the visit was to highlight the work of places like Miriam's, as demand for their services rise during the economic downturn.

CHANGE TO BELIEVE IN

The Prez Executive Order to create a Council for Women and Girls. He said the purpose of this organization will be to "ensure that women and girls are treated fairly in public policy." He said this council l "will provide a coordinated federal response to the challenges confronted by women and girls and to ensure that all Cabinet and Cabinet-level agencies consider how their policies and programs impact women and families." It will be led by Valerie Jarrett, a close Obama adviser (see photo above).

CHANGE TO BELIEVE IN

The Prez Executive Order to lift the Bush administration's 2001 ban on using government funding for stem cell research. The order ends the ban on federal funds for research using newly created embryonic stem cell lines. He also called for strict guidelines to prevent "misuse or abuse," including an absolute ban on cloning for human reproduction.

CHANGE TO BELIEVE IN

The Prez signing the Ledbetter Equal Pay Fairness Act, the first bill he signed into law. It makes it easier to sue employers for wage discrimination. . Though a great victory, though a good tool to end pay discrimination, a second more comprehensive law — already passed by the House — is needed. The Paycheck Fairness Act (PFA) would update the Equal Pay Act of 1963. The PFA would help create incentives for employer compliance with equal pay laws, re-arm federal law enforcement, and encourage programs to help eliminate persistent wage discrimination.

CHANGE TO BELIEVE IN

The Prez signing THE EXECUTIVE ORDER ON EITHICS COMMITTMENTS BY EXECUTIVE OFFICE PERSONNEL on January 21, 2009. It prohibits executive branch employees from accepting gifts from lobbyists. Second, closes the revolving door that allows government officials to move to and from private sector jobs in ways that give that sector undue influence over government, and requires that government hiring be based upon qualifications, competence and experience, not political connections. It orders every one of his appointees to sign a pledge abiding by these new rules.

SHADES OF BLACK/WHITE AWARD

The Daddy is honored to receive the Shades of Black And White Award for his efforts on behalf of Troy Davis and fighting racism. Thanks, SJP.

THE SPLASH AWARD

The daddy is honored to receive The Splash Award for 2009. Thanks, Wayne over at Elecntronic Village (http://electronicvillage.blogspot.com/). Thanks, villagers.

SUPERIOR SCRIBBLER AWARD

The daddy is honored to receive the Superiorl Scribbler Award for 2008. Thanks, HD over at http://hagarsdaughters.blogspot.com/

THE HELPING HAND AWARD

The daddy is honored to receive the Helping Hand Award for 2008. Thanks for the love, CurvyGurl (http://www.curvygurlchronicles.com/).

KICK ASS BLOGGER AWARD- 2008

The Daddy is honored to receive the Kick Ass Blogger award for 2008. Thanks, Kit over at http://keepittrill.blogspot.com/

CARTER G. WOODSON

"IF A RACE HAS NO HISTORY, IF IT HAS NO WORTHWHILE TRADITION, IT BECOMES A NEGLIGIBLE FACTOR IN THE THOUGHT OF THE WORLD, AND IT STANDS IN DANGER OF BEING EXTERMINATED." --Carter G. Woodson

CARTER G. WOODSON

(1875-1950) Carter G. Woodson was the first to open the long-neglected field of black studies in high schools and colleges. To focus attention on black contributions to civilization, he founded Negro History Week in 1926. This celebration and remembrance would later evolve into Black History Month. He devoted his entire life to research to show the valuable contributions that African Americans made to civilization. The son of former slaves, Woodson received his doctorate from Harvard in 1912, only the second African American to do so. Live Black History in February, in every month of the year.

KWAME TOURE

Born in the Port of Spain, Trinidad, Stokely got involved with the civil rights movement by becoming a "freedom rider," a group of young people who rode on buses in the South to test the new Supreme Court ruling that said Blacks could not be discriminated against during interstate travel. In Jackson, Mississippi, Stokely (later Kwame Toure), along with other freedom riders, was beaten then jailed for 49 days in Parchman Penitentiary. In 1966 Stokely became chairman of SNCC. On 5th June, 1966, after James Meredith was shot and black leaders decided to continue the march he started. When the marchers got to Greenwood, Mississippi, Carmichael and other marchers were arrested. It was the 27th time that Carmichael had been arrested. After his release on the 16th of June, he made his famous "Black Power" speech, calling for "black people in this country to unite, to recognize their heritage, and to build a sense of community". He also advocated that African Americans should form and lead their own organizations, reject American values and develop new values and styles of their own. The following year Carmichael joined with Charles Hamilton to write the book, "Black Power.." Though highly criticized by moderate black leaders and whites, Carmichael made a lasting impact on the civil rights movement. Live Black History in February, in every month of the year.

MALCOLM X

(1925-1965) On February 21, 1965, Malcolm X was assassinated. Born Malcolm Little, he educated himself on ghetto streets and in prison. He went on to organize a small religious sect called The Nation of Islam into a powerhouse organization with which to be reckoned in the 1960's His powerful speeches on behalf of black rights and black self-determination made him a favorite on college campuses and among activists all across America. His book "The Autobiography of Malcolm X," written during a period when his life was being threatened, was read by millions. Live Black History in February, in every month of the year.

MILES DAVIS

(1926-1991) He was a great trumpet player who was prominent on the cool jazz scene of the 50's and sixties. And he played with the greats: people who pioneered new styles such as cool jazz, hard bop and fusion, and more. Davis studied at the Juilliard School (1947) and played in Charlie Parker's popular bebop quintet (1948). He worked with orchestra conductor Gil Evans, John Coltrane and later electronic pop artist Herbie Hancock. His album "Kind of Blue" is considered one of the greatest jazz albums of all time. Live Black History during February and every month of the year.

FREDRICK DOUGLASS

Fredrick Douglass (1817-1895) The son of a slave, Douglass was perhaps America's most courageous and influential abolitionists. But he raised his voice not only against slavery but the bondage of women as well. Indeed, he was invited to speak at gatherings that supported women's rights. He also spoke truth to powering, at times scolding Abraham Lincoln for not being more forthcoming in helping to end slavery. Douglass was named to many official posts, including Marshal of the District of Columbia. His autobiography, "The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass," was first published in 1881.

ZORA NEAL HURSTON

(1901-1960) Her books sat collecting dust at the end of bookshelves in libraries until "discovered" by womanist writer Alice Walker. Hurston was a student of anthropology; and she used this knowledge to capture the folktales, stories, religion and songs of blacks in the South. Though many of the black elite looked with disfavor at her sympathetic portrayal of poor blacks at the time, the sum of her work speaks of black people as dynamic, creative and resilient. She wrote "Mules and Men" (1935), "Tell My Horse" (1938), and Jonah's Gourd Vine (1934). But she is best known for her splendid novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937). Celebrate Black History in February and every month of the year.

Jayckie Joyner-Kersee

(1962). She was an all-around athlete, one of the greatest in the olympics -- male or female. She dominated the seven-event heptathalon for a decade. After winning the silver medal in the event in 1984, she scored gold in 1988 and 1992. She did it all as a humble servant of her Creator. She was as an inspiration to all track and field athletes. Live Black history in February and throughout the year.

ALTHEA GIBSON

1927) No, she didn't come from a family of rich or well-to-do suburbanites. Althea Gibson came straight out of Harlem. She was a world-class tennis talent. She was the first black athlete -- male or female -- to win the Wimbledon championship. That was in 1957, the same year she was named Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press. And guess what? She won Wimbledon again the following year! Live Black history in February, in every month of the year.

JAMES BALDWIN

JAMES BALDWIN (1924-1987) From a poor child in Harlem to a Pentecostal minister to controversial novelist to one of the most influential writers and social critics of his time. His first two novels-- Go Tell It on the Mountain (1953), reflecting his experience as a young preacher, and Giovanni's Room (1956), which dealt with homosexuality-- made him a controversial must-read. His perceptive and honest essays in The Fire Next Time (1963) won him critical acclaim. Live Black history in February and throughout the year.

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

In the spring of 1963, Dr. King hoped to focus on the beatings of civil rights protesters. But he was jailed for leading marches without permits. There in jail, he responded to white moderate ministers who were criticizing the protests. That's when he wrote his famous "Letter from a Birminham Jail." Celebrate Black History in February and throughout the year.

ROLE MODEL-BARACK OBAMA

President-Elect Barack Obama stops to say hello to a black kid on the campaign trail.

ROLE MODEL-PAT TILLMAN

Remember him? This Arizona Cardinal safety walked away from a lucrative National Football League contract to join the Army Rangers. He was killed in Afghanistan Thursday, April 22, 2004. The great essayist and poet Raphph Waldo Emerson said of such men, "What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think....you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it. It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude."

COOL FIRST LADY

New First Lady Michelle Obama was born on January 17, 1964. Besides a First Lady, did you know she graduated in Princeton in 1985 and studied sociology and African American studies? Her final thesis was entitled "Princton Educated Blacks and the Black community." Did you know she served as founding executive director of the Chicago chapter of Public Allies, an AmeriCorps organization geared toward molding young people to develop skills for public service?

DR. JOSEPH LOWERY

Much has been said about anti-gay minister Rick Warren giving the invocation at President-Elect Barack Obama's inauguration. But little has been said about pro-gay minister and civil rights warrior Rev. Joseph Lowery who will give the last word. What a great selection. Besides a long-time "soldier" of the civil rights movement, Lowery is also known for calling President George Bush to account at Coretta Scott King's funeral. At the 2006 funeral, with Bush present and on the same stage as a podium guest, Lowery chastised Bush, saying: “We know now there were no weapons of mass destruction over there. But Coretta knew, and we know, that there are weapons of misdirection right down here. Millions without health insurance. Poverty abounds. For war, billions more, but no more for the poor.”

EARTHA KITT DIES

1927-2008. Dancer, singer, actress, and "sex kitten" Eartha Kitt died today. You will hear that she appeared in movies, that she ahcieved fame playing Catwoman on the Batman television series. You will hear that the "sex kitten," for the most part, lived alone (although she did have brief affairs with a few rich men), that she is a model to women on how to keep a good figure even in old age. But what you probably will not hear is that, at the risk of her career, she spoke out against the Vietnam war. Because she did so, she had a hard time getting bookings in the U.S. and had to work in Europe. Here is what she said at one of those polite parties at the White House hosted by Lady Bird Johnson: "You send the best of this country off to be shot and maimed! They rebel in the street. They don't want to go to school because they're going to be snatched off from their mothers to be shot in Vietnam."

FREDDIE HUBBARD DEAD

1938-2008. He influenced a new generation of trumpet players. He collaborated with the greatest of his time: Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Miles Davis, to name a few. And he was involved in hundreds of recordings. He was known for playing fast with passion. He was a giant among giants in Jazz.

I AM A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER!

THE 13TH AMENDMENT

The 13th amendment, Article 1: "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." Ratified on December 6, 1865.

IT'S YO BIRTHDAY!!!

November 27 is the birthday of Jemi Hendrix, one of the greatest guitarist of all time, a guy who helped change music and culture. To many, Hendrix was known as the guy who hooked up with two white guys from England to form The Jimmie Hendric Experience, playing "spaced out" rock & roll songs like Purple Haze. But Hendrix rhythm and solos had its genesis in blues solos while playing with some of the best R&B bands at the time, including Little Richard, King Curtis, and Wilson Pickett. Hendrix was more into funk than "spaced out" rock & roll. But it was his revolutionary tricks with distortion mixed with other guitar tricks and his alternately ragged then smooth solo lines that gave his playing such an exotic, spiritual, and instantly recognizable quality. Happy birthday, Jimi...

GOOD LOOKING OUT!

Check this out! Pro tennis champion Serena Williams (pictured with Kenya’s education minister Sam Ongeri) cuts the ribbon at the Serena Williams Secondary School in Matooni, Kenya on Friday afternoon. This school was built through a partnership bet.ween Serena and Hewlett Packard. Good looking out. Photo: Concrete Loop.

DREAMS CAN COME TRUE!

Bobby Kennedy, 1968: "Things are moving so fast in race relations a Negro could be president in 40 years. There's no question about it. In the next 40 years, a Negro can achieve the same position that my brother had. Prejudice exists and will continue to, but we have tried to make progress, and we are making progress. We are not going to accept the status quo."

ON THE DEATH PENALTY

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: "Most of the world has abolished the immoral and barbaric practice of the death penalty. Yet the United States continues to condemn men and women to death. Nearly all of the people this country executes are poor and/or people of color, and many of them suffer from mental retardation or mental illness...The death penalty is a microcosm of the problems we have with violence in general."

STUDS TERKEL, THANK YOU

1916-2008. Thank you for making oral history a genre. Thank you for focusing on working people, at home and abroad, especially during WWII. Thank you for believing in the working man and woman in this country.

IT'S YO BIRTHDAY!!!

October 31 is the birthday of high-flying Illinois Jacquet. The Lousiana native is best known for a passionate solo he played on Hampton's "Flying High." This solo is considered one of the greates solo performances in jazz history. That song became his signature, and he parlayed it into a brilliant jazz career stretching over fifty years. He performed his own band in 1945 and performed high flying performances all over the world. A raw-boned tenor sound combining R&B boldness and jazz sophistication was his trademark. His band won much acclaim Said Jacquet in a 1988 Jazz Times interview, "With this kind of music you don't get old, because it takes 50 years to learn how to play it."

WHY DID PFC. LAVENA JOHNSON DIE!!!

The army told her father that she committed suicide. But her father, a doctor, said there were indications that she died from a physical attack. He said she had two loose front teeth, a "busted lip" that had to be reconstructed by the funeral home - suggesting that "someone might have punched her in the mouth." Get more ino. Go to the Pfc. LaVena Johnson website (http://www.lavenajohnson.com/). Join others in asking the military to reopen this case.

LEVI HAS LEFT US.

2008 is shaping up to be the year a lot of great ones died: Johnny Griffin. Bo Diddley. Isaac Hayes.Pervis Jackson. Norman Whitfield, Dee Dee Warwick (Dione Warwick's siste) and now Levi Stubbs, the lead singer of the great R&B group The Four Tops. Stubbs died of complications from cancer and other health problems. He was 72. Some will remember his lead singing on the hit "Reach out. I'll be there." Others will favor "Baby, I need your loving." Still others will say "Sugar pie honey bunch" was their song. But the daddy's favorite was the Four Tops live recording of the bittersweet ballad "Just Ask the Lonely." And the daddy is feeling a bit lonely now that Levi is no longer with us.

ON THE DEATH PENALTY

Justice William Brennan, 1987: "It is tempting to pretend that minorities on death row share a fate in no way connected to our own, that our treatment of them sounds no echoes beyond the chambers in which they die. Such an illusion is ultimately corrosive, for the reverberations of injustice are not so easily confined."

CONGRATS!!!

October 2, 1967 Thurgood Marshall was sworn in as the first African American to be appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, the highest court in the land. Unlike Clarence Thomas, the present African American on the court (Pray for him, pleeease!), Marshall-- before his appointment-- had been well known as a legal advocate for civil rights at all levels of the court system. Indeed, he had argued cases before the U.S. Supreme Court itself and won. Marshall was appointed by the late president Lyndon Johnson.

I KNOW THAT'S RIGHT!

Congressman John Lewis speaks truth: "George Wallace never threw a bomb. He never fired a gun, but he created the climate and the conditions that encouraged vicious attacks against innocent Americans who were simply trying to exercise their constitutional rights. Because of this atmosphere of hate, four little girls were killed on Sunday morning when a church was bombed in Birmingham, Alabama."

GOOD LOOKING OUT!

On this day, October 4, 1988, Camille and Bill Cosby donated 20 million dollars to Spelman College, the largest donation ever given to a predominantly black college at the time. Now, the daddy has criticized Bill Cosby for sexist statements he has made about black women and classist ones he has made about the black poor. But there is another Bill Cosby, a strong black man who, after becoming successful, has consistently given time and money back to his community of Philadelphia and predominantly black colleges like Spelman and Tuskegee Institute. Moreover, Cosby has served as a role model to other wealthy blacks such as Oprah Winfrey, illustrating the importance of thinking beyond the self and serving one's community and one's people. Bill and Camille, good looking out.

IT'S YO BIRTHDAY!!!

September 9th is the birthday of highly acclaimed soul singer Otis Redding. Many critics view Redding as the single most influential male soul artist of the 1960's. His raw singing and fever-pitiched live performances was in stark contrast to the smoothed-out sound of rival soul singers such as The Supremes and Marvin Gaye from the label Motown. Though born in Dawson, Georgia in 1941, Otis grew up in poverty in Macon, Georgia. He lived in the Tindall Heights projects and sang in the choir at the Vineville Baptist Church nearby. He was playing in the band of guitarist Johnny Jenkins until he recorded a song called "These arms of mine" in 1962. It became a big hit and Redding was on his way. Appreciated by fans the world over Otis travelled constantly and worked hard to give listeners and concert goers a big taste of "southern soul."

PAUL NEWMAN DEAD

Cool Hand Luke is gone. Actor, director, producer, race car driver and entrepreneuer Paul Newman starred in such films as Hud,” “Cool Hand Luke” and “The Color of Money." But the daddy's favorite was his acting alongside Elizabeth Taylor in the Tennessee William's play "Cat on a Hot Tin Rooof." Newman died after a long bout with cancer. He was 83.

IT'S YO BIRTHDAY!!!

August 18th is the birthday of Roberto Clemente, the great baseball player from Puerto Rico. From Wilkipedia: "Clemente played eighteen seasons in Major League Baseball from 1955 to 1972, all with Pittsburgh. He was awarded the National League’s Most Valuable Player Award in 1966. During the course of his career, Clemente was selected to participate in the league's All Star Game on twelve occasions. He won twelve Gold Glove Awards and led the league in batting average four different seasons. He was involved in charity work both in Puerto Rico and other Latin American countries, often delivering baseball equipment and food to them. He died in an aviation accident on December 31, 1972, while en route to deliver aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua."

IT'S YO BIRTHDAY!!!

Born Frederick Christian on September 3, 1934, Freddie King mixed a "country blues" fingerpicking style and a more soulful urban approach to fashion a more aggressive blues style, laying the foundation for rock music of the late 60's and 70's. The book "Nothing But the Blues" said: "King (no relation to any of the other blues guitarists named King) was one of the lynchpins of modern blues guitar. Along with Otis Rush, Buddy Guy, and Magic Sam, King spearheaded Chicago's modern blues movement in the early '60s and helped set the stage for the blues-rock boom of the late '60s. His influence on such blues-rock titans as Eric Clapton helped preserve a legacy characterized by searing, aggressive guitar solos and the welding of blues and rock into one cohesive sound. "

SENSIBLE PEOPLE!

Though it was hot, they dressed up in full-body jumpsuits, pulled black masks over their heads and marched in the streets to protest the torture and denial of basic rights to prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba: Minnesota Post quoted one protester, Bob Kolstad, a lawyer, as saying: "What is going on at Guantanamo flies in the face of everything our form of government and the principles of the United States Constitution stand for, This is a visible symbol of how corrupt our government has become." Good to see some sensible people at the RNC.

HIS BEST SPEECH EVER!

If the corporate media pundits hadn't spent so much time yapping, you would have heard one of the top 5 speeches at the national democratic convention and John Kerry's best. In it, he calls out Sen. McCain for flip flopping on issues and basically selling out what few principles he had in 2000 to become president. Here's what the National Post said of it:: "He spoke for just under 14 minutes, but in his limited time Kerry hammered the crap out of McCain for most of his speech, and did so in a way that highlighted how wrong Kerry thinks the Bush/McCain axis has been and how right candidate Obama is. " Kerry has emerged as one of Obama's most trusted advisors and has worked tirelessly for his campaign. Watch Kerry's speech on YouTube http://beltwayblips.com/video/senator_john_kerry_at_the_2008_dnc/

MICHELLE!!!

Michelle Obama, electrified Democrats gathered in Denver and convention watchers gathered around tv sets all over the world, as she spoke lovingly about her husband and the values that would make him an "extraordinary" president and her hopes and dreams for her tight-knit family and her country.

GO JAMAICA!!!

Usain is insane! The Jamaican added the 200m title to the 100m gold he won earlier this week, He did it with a world record-breaking run of 19.30sec. He's been threatening Michael Johnson's 12-year-old world record with his times in the heats and tore away from the field to beat the American's mark by 0.02sec."

AFL-CIO TAKES RACISM HEAD ON

Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka at the steelworker's convention last weekend: "Speaking to the United Steelworkers’ (USW) convention in Las Vegas this week, Trumka said: [At] the end of the day, what people are going to need to hear is that when it comes to protecting jobs, when it comes to protecting pensions, when it comes to health care, child care, pay equity for women, Social Security, Medicare, seeing to it that people can afford to go to college and buy a home—and restoring the right to collective bargaining—Barack Obama has always, always been on our side. This is a guy who’s voted with labor 98 percent of the time!"

IT'S YO BIRTHDAY!!!

September 16 is the birthday of B. B. King. He was born Riley King into a poor family of sharecroppers living on the Mississippi Delta, near the town of Itta Bene, Miss., in 1925. Tired of picking cotton, King left a cotton plantation for the city and ended up playing guitar on street corners in Memphis, Tennessee for change. King kept playing, recording numerous albums, and getting selected to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

IT'S YO BIRTHDAY!!!

Born on August 28, 1952, in Akron, Ohio, writer/teacher RITA DOVE is winner of numerous awards. Two important ones include the Pulitzer prize for the book "Thomas and Beulah" in 1987 and poet laureate of the United States by the Library of Congress in 1993, She was the youngest and first and only African American to receive such a post. She has been a professor English at the University of Virginia since 1993.

II'S YO BIRTHDAY!!!

Happy birthday, James Baldwin, novelist, essayist. Born in Harlem in a family of nine, Baldwin received a scholarship, which allowed him to go to Paris. There, he finished his first novel, "Go Tell It on the Mountain" in 1953. In 1956, he wrote "Giovonni's Room," a book about homosexual love. In 1957, Baldwin returned to the United States and participated in the civil rights movement, often speaking at fundraisers to help the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (the organization headed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.). In 1962, he returned to Paris and wrote "Another Country," a bitter novel about the difficulties andl tensions in personal relationships. In 1963, he wrote "The Fire Next Time," a group of essays whose naked honesty and probing insights would define him as one of the most important writers of his time.

JOHNNY GRIFFIN DIES

The great jazz tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin, who played with many of the greats but chose to live in France, died on Friday. He was 80. The cause of death was unclear. He was found dead on Friday morning in the music room of his home in Mauprevoir in western France by his wife Miriam. Griffin began playing with Lionel Hampton in 1945 and moved on to play with John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk and Art Blakely in the 50's and 60's.. The 1958 album he cut with Coltrane and Blakely called "A Blowing Session" remains among his signature works. "Jazz," said Griffin, " is music made by and for people who have chosen to feel good, in spite of conditions."

IT'S YO BIRTHDADY!!!

INVISIBLE WOUNDS OF WAR

"...effective treatments documented in the scientific literature — evidence-based care — are available for PTSD and major depression. Delivery of such care to all veterans with PTSD or major depression would pay for itself within two years, or even save money, by improving productivity and reducing medical and mortality costs. Such care may also be a cost-effective way to retain a ready and healthy military force for the future. However, to ensure that this care is delivered requires system-level changes across the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the U.S. health care system." Rand Corporation study.

STRESS OF WAR

Huffington Post reports that Army statistics showed there were nearly 14,000 newly diagnosed cases of PTSD across the services in 2007 compared with more than 9,500 new cases the previous year and 1,632 in 2003. The reason for the increase, said army officials include the increase of soldeirs in combat in 2007 and soldiers serving two and three terms in combat. See "Wartime PTSD jumped roughly 50 pct. in 2007" by Pauline Jelinek on May 27, 2008.

REST WELL, SOLDIER

BO DIDDLEY DEAD

Bo Diddley, one of the pioneers of Rock and Roll, died today of heart failure at his home in Archer, Florida, at the age of 79. His three stroke/rest/two strokes invention can be heard in a who's who of rockers, including Buddy Holly ("Not Fade Away," which was also covered by the Rolling Stones), Johnny Otis ("Willie and the Hand Jive"), the Yardbirds ("I'm a Man," a Bo Diddley's song), the Count Five ( "Psychotic Reaction), Strangelove ("I Want Candy"), Bruce Springsteen ("She's the One"), U2 ("Desire"), George Michael ("Faith"), to name only a few. Many others continue to cover his songs and use his beat. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987..

GONE-NOT FORGOTTEN

Sean Bell withFamily

GOOD LOOKING OUT!

Jay-Z: I'm not a big fan of yours, but your support for Nicole and her kid, after Sean Bell, her husband-to-be (unarmed), was shot multiple times by New York police was real stand-up, brotha behavior.

I KNOW THAT'S RIGHT!

W.E.B. Dubois:"T]he Negro is a sort of seventh son, born with a veil, and gifted with second-sight in this American world,—a world which yields him no true self-consciousness, but only lets him see himself through the revelation of the other world. It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one’s self through the eyes of others, of measuring one’s soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. "

I KNOW THAT'S RIGHT!

"Those 'quiet riots' that take place every day are born from the same place as the fires and the destruction and the police decked out in riot gear and the deaths. They happen when a sense of disconnect settles in and hope dissipates. Despair takes hold and young people all across this country look at the way the world is and believe that things are never going to get any better. You tell yourself, my school will always be second rate. You tell yourself, there will never be a good job waiting for me to excel at. You tell yourself, I will never be able to afford a place that I can be proud of and call my home. That despair quietly simmers and makes it impossible to build strong communities and neighborhoods. And then one afternoon a jury says, “Not guilty” — or a hurricane hits New Orleans — and that despair is revealed for the world to see."

I KNOW THAT'S RIGHT!

"The greatest respect we could pay them {US soldiers} would be to pledge no more wars for erroneous and misleading reasons; no more killing and wounding except for the defense of our country and our freedoms."

I KNOW THAT'S RIGHT!

From an interview in Playboy Magazine, in 1963: "At the bottom of the social heap is the black man in the big-city ghetto. He lives night and day with the rats and the cockroaches and drowns himself with alcohol and anesthetizes himself with dope, to try and forget where and what he is. That Negro has given up all hope. He's the hardest one for us to reach, because he's the deepest in the mud. But when you get him, you've got the best kind of Muslim. I look upon myself as a prime example of this category - as graphic an example as you could find of the salvation of the black man."

I KNOW THAT'S RIGHT!

Paul Rieckhoff, Executive Director and founder of IAVA (Iraqi & Afhanistan Veterans of America), said, "The profound cowardice of some top brass stands in such marked contrast to the bravery of the men and women they commanded. These officials felt brave enough to send our military into battle, and yet not one of them has the strength of character to look Pat's mother, Mary Tillman, in the face, and say they are sorry. This is unconscionable." See his commentary in the June 23rd Huffington Post.

I KNOW THAT'S RIGHT!

He left us recently. But he also left behind some sound advice. He said cherish your health, surround yourself with what you love, keep cheerful friends, enjoy the simple things, laugh often, loud and long. "Remember," said Carlin, "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

I KNOW THAT'S RIGHT!

"The press is so powerful in its image-making role, it can make a criminal look like the victim and make the victim look like the criminal. This is the irresponsible press. If you aren't careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed and loving the people who are doing the oppressing."

ROLE MODE: PRSIDENT JIMMIE CARTER

Jimmy Carter, former U.S. president and Nobel Prize winner: "This case illustrates the deep flaws in the application of the death penalty in this country. Executing Troy Davis without a real examination of potentially exonerating evidence risks taking the life of an innocent man and would be a grave miscarriage of justice. The citizens of Georgia should demand the highest standards of proof when our legal system condemns on our behalf a man or woman to die."

ROLE MODEL-BOBBY KENNEDY

From Publisher's Weekly: "From the 'tens of thousands' of photographs he took of Robert Kennedy, former Life magazine photographer Eppridge has culled his most evocative images for this 'photographic history of one of the nation's most compelling figures,' published to commemorate the 40th anniversary of his assassination. Following Kennedy from 1966, Eppridge chronicled Kennedy's '68 presidential campaign trail, his battles with Eugene McCarthy in the Democratic primaries and victory in California, which would have sent 'his campaign into orbit.' Soon after the victory speech, Eppridge heard eight gunshots — 'the sound I will never forget' — and snapped the grim final images of Kennedy, bleeding in the arms of a stunned supporter. A devastated Eppridge captured the national grief that followed, the funeral train from New York to Washington, D.C., attended everywhere by 'a cross-section of America... old, young, women, men, black, white."

ROLE MODEL-MALCOLM X

"Whether we are Christians or Muslims or nationalists or agnostics or atheists, we must first learn to forget our differences. If we have differences, let us differ in the closet; when we come out in front, let us not have anything to argue about until we get finished arguing with the man. If the late President Kennedy could get together with Khrushchev and exchange some wheat, we certainly have more in common with each other than Kennedy and Khrushchev had with each other. If we don't do something real soon, I think you'll have to agree that we're going to be forced either to use the ballot or the bullet. It's one or the other in 1964. It isn't that time is running out -- time has run out!"

ROLE MODEL-BILL MOYERS

This is what he says about America's corporate media: ""Democracy without honest information creates the illusion of popular consent at the same time that it enhances the power of the state and the privileged interests that the state protects. And nothing characterizes corporate media today more than its disdain toward the fragile nature of modern life and its indifference toward the complex social debate required of a free and self-governing people."

ROLE MODEL-MILDRED LOVING

Mildred Loving (1940-2008). You may not know her, but Mildred Loving, who died on Friday, made history. She challenged Virginia's ban on interracial marriage which led to a landmark Supreme Court ruling striking down such laws nationwide. In a unanimous decison, the Court said, "There can be no doubt that restricting the freedom to marry solely because of racial classifications violates the central meaning of the equal protection clause." Rest in peace.

ROLE MODEL: PERCY JACKSON

Pervis Jackson, one of the four lead singers for The Spinners, one of the most popular groups in the seventies, just left us; and it's a shame.

ROLE MODEL:: ISAAC HAYES

He was not only a great performer and songwriter who gave us the theme from Shaft, great albums like "Hot buttered soul" and "Black Moses." He was also a generous soul who helped artists like Sam and Dave, Dionne Warwick, Otis Redding, Albert King and Carla Thomas (to name only a few) bring out the genius that lay inside them. He also gave money and time to the people of Memphis, Tennessee and the youth of Ghana. Rest well, Black Moses.

ROLE MODEL-JESSIE JACKSON Jr.

Rep. Jessie Jackson Jr. on his father's comments about Senator and presidential candidate Barack Obama: "I'm deeply outraged and disappointed in Reverend Jackson's reckless statements about Senator Barack Obama. His divisive and demeaning comments about the presumptive Democratic nominee -- and I believe the next president of the United States -- contradict his inspiring and courageous career...Reverend Jackson is my dad and I'll always love him. He should know how hard that I've worked for the last year and a half as a national co-chair of Barack Obama's presidential campaign. So I thoroughly reject and repudiate his ugly rhetoric. He should keep hope alive and any personal attacks and insults to himself."

ROLE MODEL-ISAAC HAYES

1942-2008. He gave value to this country and to his community. He helped other musicians bring out the best in themselves. He gave us the model of a strong black man. He gave us a generous soul who gave time and money not only to Memphis, Tennessee but to Motherland Africa. He said, “Don't slip into the traps, and don't forget about your 'hood, the kids in the 'hood. Remember, you're disposable, so take advantage while you can.” Soldier for the black communty-- rest in peace.

ROLE MODEL--ZELMA HENDERSON

Zelma Henderson-1920-2008. Another pioneer and role model just left us. But she left footsteps for us to follow. She was the last surviving plaintiff in Topeka's Brown v. Board of Education case, which led to the historic 1954 Supreme Court ruling outlawing segregation in public schools, has died at 88. She died of pancreatic cancer. A former beautician, Ms. Henderson lived in Topeka, Kansas all of her life. In an AP interview in 2004, she said, "I wanted my children to know all races like I did...It means a lot to a person's outlook on life. No inferiority complex at all, that's what I wanted for my children as far as race was concerned.”

ROLE MODE-MAJ. SHAWN KIMBALL

Maj. Shawna R. Kimbrell, 555th Fighter Squadron, is the first African-American female fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force. Thanks, folks over at Black Perspective.net for this story.

ROLE MODEL-DEE HENDERSON

Dee Henderson, a disc jockey whose soft voice piloted “Cap’n Pete’s Blues Cruise” on the city’s volunteer radio station, WEVL, for 26 years, was killed apparently by his grandson, in his (Henderson's) backyard. But he will be remembered as a "Cap'n Pete," the DJ who kept the blues alive in Memphis and the surrounding area. A true role model.

ROLE MODEL-SOJOURNER

Sojourner Truth, addressing a women's right's convention in Akron, Ohio, in 1851, asked: Ain’t I a Woman? "That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain't I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man - when I could get it - and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a woman?"

ROLE MODEL-DOUGLAS

As a firece abolitionist, strong women's advocate, prolific writer and publisher, and powerful speaker, Frederick Douglas was, arguably, one of America's greatest leaders of the 19th century. On July 5, 1852, Douglass was invited to give a speech at an event commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence, held near his home in Rochester, New York, at Corinthian Hall. Here's an excerpt from that biting, passionate oration: " What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer; a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sound of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciation of tyrants brass fronted impudence; your shout of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanks-givings, with all your religious parade and solemnity, are to him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy -- a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages. There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of the United States, at this very hour...."

ROLE MODEL-IRENE MORGAN

On June 3, 1946, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that segreation on interstate buses to be unconstitutional thanks to the courageous struggle of Irene Morgan Kirkaldy (No, Rosa Parks wasn't the first black person to refuse to give up her seat to a white person). Further, Irene Morgan Kirkaldy took the state of Virginia to the Supreme Court and won. And her victory spurred the Freedom Rides. She died on August 10, 2007, in Glouchester, Virginia. She was 90 years old.

STERLING A. BROWN

The son of a Howard University professor, Sterling A. Brown was born in Wasington D.C,, in1901, Author of "Strong Men, " the poem below (Collected Poems, 1980), he wrote poems, essays and other writings that were rooted in folktales and black dialect. Most of his writing was completed by the mid-1940's but achieved a widespread revival two decades later. Molef Assante and the Black Atlas said of him, "As critic, essayist, and 'Opportunity' magazine columnist, he supported realistic writing and harshly attacked those who distorted black life." He died on January 17, 1989.

THE DADDY"S FAVORITE POEM: STRONG MEN

They cooped you in their kitchens,They penned you in their factories,They gave you the jobs that they were too good for,They tried to guarantee happiness to themselvesBy shunting dirt and misery to you.You sang: Me an’ muh baby gonna shine, shine. Me an’ muh baby gonna shine.The strong men keep a-comin’ on.

The strong men git stronger…

— From “Strong Men” by poet Sterling Brown

WHY daddyBstrong?

Early in the 1990's, when I was a youth counselor, I facilitated group sessions with youth between the ages of 12 and 16. Some of these kids were in gangs, and some were not. Each week, we did libation, read and discussed a chapter from a book entitled "Lessons from History" by Jawanza Kunjufu. As the kids felt safe and found the sessions interesting, they brought their friends with them. Pretty soon, I was working with anywhere from 15 to 25 kids each group session.

As kids became comfortable with me, they began to give me names. So, my name changed from "Mr. Mac" to "MacDaddy" to "the daddy." "know what the daddy told me?"

Though rewarding, the work burned me out. For my own health, I had to end the groups, though I still worked with a few of the kids on an individual basis. I remember the final group session. That's when 10 or so kids lingered in front of the bookstore near my car. I remember giving them the handshake and the hug like brothers do. I remember getting in my car; and I remember that, as I was about to pull off, one of the kids said, "Yo, Daddy? Be strong." I remember saying "Will do."

Funny: I can't remember his name or even the outline of his face. But his words and my response to them still echo in my mind:

"Yo, Daddy? Be strong!""Will do...Will do."

ABOUT MAC WALTON

Mac Walton, aka, MacDaddy, aka, The daddy, was Born in Phoenix City, Alabama, lived in Atlanta, Georgia, Chicago, Illinois, Milwauke, Wisconsin, and Madison, Wisconsin He has been a long-time resident of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
He has worked as a Teamster organizer, a youth counselor, a chemical dependency counselor, Family Violence Prevention Coordinator, and Director of a non-profit, and Manager of Security for a public housing agency. Semi-retired, he is President of Cultural Dynamics Inc., a small consulting firm in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Cultural Dynamics specializes in program development, outcome evaluation and violence prevention.
He is the author of three books, one published: "Miles to Go Before I Sleep," a memoir. He writes occasional commentaries for the Minneapolis Spokesman-Recorder, a black weekly in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

BOOKS, ARTICLES AND POEMS

1. Miles to Go Before I Sleep: Lessons in Living with Cancer (published);2. What Will It Take for Black Men to Heal (unpublished); and3. The Sixties? Yes, I Remember (unpublished).

Major Articles:

1. On the Downlow or Just Lowdown;2. A New, Independent Political Party Could Speed Our Recovery (from book, "What Will It Take for Black Men to Heal?");3. Let Music Lift Your Spirit and Sooth Your Soul (from book, "Miles to Go Before I Sleep: Lessons in Living with Cancer"); and4. I Ain't Gon Study Violence and War No Mo (from blog, daddyBstrong.blogspot.com).